Makalié is a tiny estate founded in 2019 by Max Frölich and Karoline Linka in Müllheim, in the southern Baden region of Germany. Both trained at the University of Geisenheim and seasoned in natural wine cellars across France and Austria, they returned home with a commitment to making wines that feel inseparable from the land itself. The name Makalié reflects that philosophy, created from maka (earth) and lié (connected).

Their vineyards lie on steep slopes between the Black Forest, France, and Switzerland and their farming follows biodynamic principles, while in the cellar everything is done gently: hand harvests, spontaneous fermentations, aging in old Burgundian barrels and amphora, no fining or filtration, and only the faintest touch of sulfur at bottling. Production is microscopic, only a few hundred bottles per cuvée, yet the wines are pure and precise, vibrant and elegant, and a deeply personal expression of Baden’s terroirs and a philosophy of connection to the earth.

From biodynamically farmed vineyards on loess and marl soils, this weissburgunder (pinot blanc) was foot-crushed, pressed whole-cluster, and fermented naturally before resting 11 months on the lees in used barrels. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, it captures both texture and freshness. The aromas are vivid and layered: green hazelnut, pineapple, and yellow apricot mingle with hints of sesame, salt, and nasturtium. The palate is creamy yet bright, the fruit lifted by a saline edge and carried on a long arc of tension. Playful and precise, with energy and charm, the 2022 weissburgunder is easy to love, and a wine we’ll be reaching for often.